Mirror Mirror (Dardanelles album)
Encyclopedia
Mirror Mirror is the debut album by Melbourne based Indie rock
band Dardanelles
released in September 2007.
, filled with dark haunting vocals and complex electronic soundscapes. It was recorded over a 30-day period at 001 Studio in Collingwood
with producer Woody Annison, who had previously worked with fellow Australian bands Red Riders
and Children Collide. The mysterious atmosphere can be attributed in part to the band listening to Vangelis
, particularly the Blade Runner soundtrack a great deal throughout the making of the album. Some have likened the main guitar riff to the track "Mirror Mirror" to Scott Walker's "Cossacks Are".
"Rip it Up" magazine proclaimed "Mirror Mirror" as "the finest Australian album of 2007 bar none". The single Footsteps
was subsequently released via iTunes
and received heavy rotation on Triple J
and Sydney
based FBi Radio
making it the second most added track to alternative radio in Australia behind Yeah Yeah Yeahs
. Melbourne’s Inpress
magazine made "Mirror Mirror" their #6 Album of the year (surpassing Radiohead
) with only 2 Australian albums ranked in the top 10. An extensive National tour followed in late October 2007 covering most states and territories including Hobart
and the album was subsequently reissued in 2008 with a second disc featuring 8 bonus tracks.
's video work.
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
band Dardanelles
Dardanelles (band)
Dardanelles are a four-piece indie rock band from Melbourne, Australia formed in early 2006. Often incorrectly labelled or billed as "The Dardanelles", they are named after the narrow strait in northwestern Turkey of the same name.-Biography:...
released in September 2007.
Background
Taking their fans by surprise, Dardanelles' debut album proved to be a departure from their guitar infused debut EPDardanelles (EP)
Dardanelles is the debut EP by Melbourne based Indie rock band Dardanelles released in November 2004.-Background:Following 12 months of touring to critical recognition from both fans and the music press, Dardanelles set out to record a few demos, which ended up being released as an EP...
, filled with dark haunting vocals and complex electronic soundscapes. It was recorded over a 30-day period at 001 Studio in Collingwood
Collingwood, Victoria
Collingwood is an inner city suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 3 km north-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Yarra...
with producer Woody Annison, who had previously worked with fellow Australian bands Red Riders
Red Riders
Red Riders were an indie rock band from Sydney, Australia. After releasing two EPs and a single, the band released their debut album, Replica Replica in October 2006. The band announced that they would be splitting up via their Facebook page on 5 April....
and Children Collide. The mysterious atmosphere can be attributed in part to the band listening to Vangelis
Vangelis
Evangelos Odysseas Papathanassiou is a Greek composer of electronic, progressive, ambient, jazz, pop rock and orchestral music, under the artist name Vangelis...
, particularly the Blade Runner soundtrack a great deal throughout the making of the album. Some have likened the main guitar riff to the track "Mirror Mirror" to Scott Walker's "Cossacks Are".
"Rip it Up" magazine proclaimed "Mirror Mirror" as "the finest Australian album of 2007 bar none". The single Footsteps
Footsteps (Dardanelles song)
"Footsteps" is the only single taken from Melbourne Indie rock band Dardanelles' debut album Mirror Mirror released in 2007.-Background:The band claim the song was written in about 10 minutes and is the simplest track off the album. Originally planning to scrap the song, their producer convinced...
was subsequently released via iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
and received heavy rotation on Triple J
Triple J
triple j is a nationally networked Australian radio station intended to appeal to listeners between the ages of 18 and 30. The government-funded station is a division of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation...
and Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
based FBi Radio
FBi Radio
FBi is an independent, not-for-profit community radio station in Sydney, Australia. FBi places a heavy emphasis on local alternative music: it has a policy that at least 50 per cent of its music content is to be Australian, of which at least half comes from Sydney musicians.FBi began 'test...
making it the second most added track to alternative radio in Australia behind Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Yeah Yeah Yeahs are an American indie rock band formed in New York City in 2000. The group is composed of vocalist and pianist Karen O, guitarist and keyboardist Nick Zinner, and drummer Brian Chase. They are complemented in live performances by second guitarist David Pajo, who joined as a touring...
. Melbourne’s Inpress
Inpress
Inpress is a free weekly tabloid-sized music magazine that is released in Melbourne, Geelong and Mornington Peninsula areas of Victoria, Australia...
magazine made "Mirror Mirror" their #6 Album of the year (surpassing Radiohead
Radiohead
Radiohead are an English rock band from Abingdon, Oxfordshire, formed in 1985. The band consists of Thom Yorke , Jonny Greenwood , Ed O'Brien , Colin Greenwood and Phil Selway .Radiohead released their debut single "Creep" in 1992...
) with only 2 Australian albums ranked in the top 10. An extensive National tour followed in late October 2007 covering most states and territories including Hobart
Hobart
Hobart is the state capital and most populous city of the Australian island state of Tasmania. Founded in 1804 as a penal colony,Hobart is Australia's second oldest capital city after Sydney. In 2009, the city had a greater area population of approximately 212,019. A resident of Hobart is known as...
and the album was subsequently reissued in 2008 with a second disc featuring 8 bonus tracks.
Track listing
- "Introduction" - 3.01
- "Alone Is Not" - 5.01
- "Natural Selection" - 3.56
- "FootstepsFootsteps (Dardanelles song)"Footsteps" is the only single taken from Melbourne Indie rock band Dardanelles' debut album Mirror Mirror released in 2007.-Background:The band claim the song was written in about 10 minutes and is the simplest track off the album. Originally planning to scrap the song, their producer convinced...
" - 3.42 - "Mirror Mirror" - 5.09
- "Dream Into Me" - 2.59
- "Once And Future Child" - 3.31
- "Cycles Repeat" - 3.24
- "Morse Code" - 4.37
- "Dominoes Dance" - 3.42
- "One + One (iTunes exclusive track)" - 2.47
- "Stop (iTunes exclusive track)" - 3.50
Personnel
- Josh Quinn-Watson (vocals, keyboard, samples)
- Alex Cameron (guitar, vocals)
- James Nicolson (bass)
- Mitch McGregor (drums)
- Woody Annison (producer)
Video clips
Melbourne based agency "Moop Jaw" produced a video clip for "Mirror Mirror" from the point of view of a camera rotating in the middle of a black room. It features the band performing in various formations and lighting setups with sporadic physical effects in the background. Another Melbourne based agency "Krozm" produced a subsequent video clip for "Footsteps" featuring face-painted band members projected across various objects and highly surreal imagery reminiscent of Pink FloydPink Floyd
Pink Floyd were an English rock band that achieved worldwide success with their progressive and psychedelic rock music. Their work is marked by the use of philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows. Pink Floyd are one of the most commercially...
's video work.